Nintendo Switch Supporting Virtual Reality and 4K Resolution Would Have Meant Death

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Nintendo Switch Supporting Virtual Reality and 4K Resolution Would Have Meant Death

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There is a fair reason that the Nintendo Switch does not feature support for virtual reality and higher resolutions such as 4K or more.

Speaking with Les Numériques in a recent interview, managing director Philippe Lavoué explained that the two facets are still growing in the market. Neither have been accepted by majority of consumers, and it will take time before both features are considered a norm in the video game industry.

In addition, the Japanese company had to highlight priorities for its large investments. It could not satisfy every single niche and hence, decided that it was more important to stick to its primary goal of “fitting” the Nintendo Switch into the daily lives of everyone.

“If you look at VR headsets, I doubt they can appeal to the mainstream,” Lavoué stated. “As far as 4K is concerned, is it useful to invest in a technology that has not been adopted by the majority? Where are 4K TVs now? We can’t invest in everything.”

The mobility and small-scale factors have been a major part of the success that Nintendo has enjoyed with its new hybrid console. To end the debate on why the company refrained from adding support for virtual reality and 4K resolution, Lavoué believes that Nintendo would have died had it not done so. This is because the company is smaller compared to its rivals in the market, who have been heavily pushing both features for quite some time now.

Nintendo makes a fine point that consumers in general are not patient with entertainment if there is no “all-inclusive package” from the beginning. It all comes down to cost and the exhorbitant investments for access, and that too in limited arrays.

I thought virtual reality and 4K was the bomb?

They are because they offer a premium experience unlike what is usually considered the standard for consoles. Those gaming on PC edge out in this regard because they can enjoy the features as long as they are willing to invest in the hardware and accessories. The consoles, though, have to be pulled back in light of the limiting hardware.

Can we expect Nintendo to change its stance in the future?

It will probably have to. However, the company has clearly stated that it holds no current interest in either virtual reality or 4K and higher resolutions. It is unlikely that a new version of the Nintendo Switch will be released to satisfy the niche audience. That is something that may happen with the next console from the company in the far future.